Happy, fluffy, feely good nonsense?

[Musky]

I get tons of emails, usually the same ones over and over again, maybe worded a little differently, but most are the same kind of unconfirmed rehashed junk.

However, this is a new one to me and I thought I'd post it to give everyone the chance to tear into it!

I received it from a former Bible student, now baptized. She got it from her cousin and wants to respond to her about it.

Here it is, from this sentence on, it is just as I received it, so have at it:

I don't know if this is true about Jewish tradition 2,000 years ago.....it is an interesting thing to ponder over.

Why did Jesus fold the napkin?

The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over

the face of JESUS, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes.

The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly

folded, and was placed separate from the grave clothes.

Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the

tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.

She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom JESUS

loved. She said, 'They have taken the LORD's body out of the tomb, and I

don't know where they have put HIM,

Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see.. The other disciple

outran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen

cloth lying there, but he didn't go in.

Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside.. He also noticed the linen

wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered JESUS' head was

folded up and lying to the side.

Was that important? Absolutely!

Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to

understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded

napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this

tradition.

When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it

was exactly the way the master wanted it..

The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out

of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not

dare touch that table, until the master was finished.

Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his

fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and

toss it onto the table,

The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the

wadded napkin meant, 'I'm done'.

But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it

beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table,

because..........

The folded napkin meant, 'I'm coming back!'

HE is Coming Back!

Jesus is. He came. He's coming again!

Dream it...Believe it...Live it!

[Shawnster]

Instead of responding to prove or disprove this fluffy nonsense, a better response might be along the lines of Christ's return. How will Christ find us? Are we actively supporting him and his Kingdom? Are we living a life that pleases ourselves?

I'm not finding the scripture right now, but there is a thought about Christians completing the work Jesus started. I used that on a Bible study to emphasize the importance of the ministry work. Christ started a preaching campaign of the good news, and he left it for us to finish. When he returns at Armageddon, will he find us doing so?

[Joey]

That's one of Christendom's stories I think,according to this.I realise you called it nonsense... So that it is.

p://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/NapkinFolded.html

[Please see link above for more info. on this matter. Concept for this sermon originally preached by Dr. Clyde Box. I receive many questions as to the historicity of the "Napkin Legend"...Dr. Box reportedly says it comes from an "old book" on his shelf. More on this subject at link above. When I present this publicly I make this clarification and do not present it as fact, but focus on the truths it illustrates.]

[rocket]

Although it makes for a nice story, it appears to be an urban legend with some Baptist roots.

Who really knows, maybe it is true.

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/f/folded-napkin.htm

http://oldtestamentpassion.blogspot.com/2009/04/folded-napkin-john-207.html

[Musky]

Yes, I thought as much, it was just a new one to me and I was out and about and didn't Google it. Thanks Nance and Lynn!

I told her basically the same thing that you suggested Shawn! We don't need little "feely good" stories to help us do the work that we're suppose to.

I wasn't about to post it in the Interchange because it has nothing to do with our beliefs!

[SeedSower]

6 Then Simon Peter also came following him, and he entered into the memorial tomb. And he viewed the bandages lying, + 7 also the cloth that had been upon his head not lying with the bandages but separately rolled up in one place.

I agree Lynn. We don't know if it was true. I believe that because we cannot find any historical records - doesn't mean something never existed. I also feel that why would it mention that the cloth and the bandages were separate from each other? Was it just the writers style of writing? Was it an oversight...John perhaps assuming everyone knew this Jewish tradition? I'm a terrible philosopher and don't try to be but I also know that we cannot add to or take away from what was written. Therefore, we cannot put too much focus on things we cannot prove or disprove. There are other important things that we need to pay attention to because knowing the real story doesn't change the facts about what we already know...he is coming again. Am I making sense? Set me straight if my thinking is wrong brothers and sisters.

[Myree]

I had to change my email address because of the emails I received from a sister in the congregation, originally from her friends in the UK, from their friends etc etc. One was about having a guardian angel, others had fuzzy feely experiences, one was urging me to protest to the government regarding petrol prices, and some were chain emails, you know the ones - if I didn't send it on to 8 friends, I would die or at least be a really bad friend or bad christian.

Years ago our book study overseer read us an email he had received from a friend in New York regarding proposed legislation banning religion. We went home so hyped that night......

No wonder we receive counsel regarding sending emails when you can't verify the authenticity of the information.

[retroHelen]

Yes I don't like fluffy nonsense it can be totally anachronistic twaddle - misleading as well as unnecessary. In this case the author knows nothing of Hebrew customs at mealtimes nor first century eating habits.

Napkins are a later tradition - Hebrew and even Roman tradition is that slaves or lesser members of the better off family went around the table serving food and wine and then between the courses with bowls of water and towels, so that guests or family could clean their hands and mouths ready for the next course as there wasn't the range of cutlery of later times and people used their fingers more. If a household could afford focarii (servants who did both the cooking & serving) they were constantly serving and cleaning throughout the meal, not sitting apart.

Serving slaves often interacted with the guests, sometimes got in the way. Some provided recitations or music during/after meals. In wealthy prominent households they often had to taste food in front of the family to prove it was edible and not tainted/tampered with - think of Nehemiah's job.

How would humble Nazareth folk recognise slave/master table manners and deduce Jesus' death cloths as relevant to it anyway?? :

The method of the 'fluffy twaddle' depicted is a European fashion of 17thC onwards when cloth dry napkins and more cutlery/flatware, cups and plates were used, so that the eater kept their hands cleaner away from the food and servant ministrations were less necessary during the meal .